Council at standstill on trimming budget

The city's budget process has effectively broken down, grinding to a halt after City Council members were unable to agree on how much to cut from Mayor Willie Herenton's proposed budget.

Budget committee chairwoman Wanda Halbert adjourned Thursday's meeting without hearing scheduled budget proposals from two city divisions after council members debated for almost two hours but couldn't find consensus on how much to cut from Herenton's $617 million budget.

"There has clearly been an impasse," Halbert said.

Earlier this week council members asked the administration to submit budgets detailing cuts of $57 million and $30 million.

On Thursday, finance director Roland McElrath told council members the administration had no intention of crafting two more budgets and asked council members to give them a budget number they could return with.

Council members discussed trimming $57 million, $35 million, $30 million and $24 million from Herenton's budget but could never agree on a number.

Several council members have suggested eliminating the administration's proposed 3 percent pay raises for city employees, which could save $11 million.

"This is a time when all of us are asked to do more with less," said councilman Harold Collins. "At some point we have to learn to sacrifice."

But McElrath said the administration would not cut the raises.

"We feel we need to treat our employees properly," McElrath said. "Now that the resources of the city are such that we can give raises, we feel it's the right thing to do."

Councilman Joe Brown was aghast at the council's move to slash the budget and possibly eliminate raises.

"It saddens me to know you want to cut a budget because it tells us exactly what it needs to operate the city," said Brown. "People are entitled to pay raises."

"If it's not broke why are we tying to fix it?" Brown asked. "Is it because the executive branch of government, which includes the mayor and all his directors, that they are operating so well that it puts out a sense of envy?"

Wednesday's budget session didn't accomplish anything either.

"Essentially we just lost two whole days and accomplished nothing and that is ridiculous," said councilman Bill Boyd.